Ellis flashes invaluable skill set in Kings’ win over Wizards

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Ellis flashes invaluable skill set in Kings’ win over Wizards originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – Other than a silver necklace bearing his initials that he occasionally wears — a gift from teammate Malik Monk — there really isn’t that much flashiness to Keon Ellis away from basketball.

On the court, however, it’s an entirely different story.

In a game that the Kings were in total control of, Ellis came off the bench and provided a big spark in the second half when he scored 15 of his 18 points to help Sacramento comfortably defeat the Washington Wizards 123-100 on Sunday at Golden 1 Center.

The normally defensive-minded Ellis scored in bunches, too. Nine of his points, all on 3-pointers, came over the final 2:22 minutes of the third quarter.

After going to the bench briefly in the fourth, Ellis returned and dropped two more 3-pointers to finish his evening.

“It feels good when shots are falling, especially when it’s within the offense,” Ellis said. “When you’re at that point where you’re hot and it’s kind of like feed the hot hand, that always feels good. Just tried to keep it going.”

If De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are the heart and soul of this year’s Sacramento squad, then a fair case should be made for Ellis being the pulse.

Whether starting or in his usual role coming off the bench, Ellis provides an instant surge of energy and passion that is immediately noticeable and equally infectious.

“Keon has things that you don’t teach,” Kings interim coach Doug Christie said. “There’s instincts and timing and different things on defense. He’s found his way and found his shot, and shooting comes and goes but he continues to hone it, he continues to work on it.

“And I try to give him the confidence (to) shoot the basketball. ‘If you’re open we trust you. We watch you do your work so we know that if someone’s going to shoot it, you’re one of our best guys. Let that thing fly.’

“I have a massive amount of respect for what Keon brings to us and what he means to our team.”

With Malik Monk now a regular in Sacramento’s starting rotation, Ellis has…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ellis-flashes-invaluable-skill-set-221708279.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2025-01-19 22:17:00

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